Sealing device



I H. HORNSCHUCH Aug. 30, 1938..

' SEALING DEVICE Filed April 21, 1957 HIS ATTORNEY.

Planes Aug. so, less gersolllc is: @omnauv, .llersey @lty, N. ll... c

corporation of New Jersey Application April 21, will, Eerlal l lo. 138,6li3

a claims. '(ill. seems) ic structed to provide ample sealing areas and, in

operation, they are separated slightly to permit the passage of liquid between them and. therelui protect the members against undue abrasion.

The space between the members, however, is it so slight that, normally, even minute particles of solids entrained by the liquid will be restrained from passing between them. Being in close more imity to the sealing component carried by the shaft the movable member is directly ailectecl by on the action of the shaft, as for example enalwise movement, and when end thrust occurs the sta= tionary component of the sealing device may he moved out of its sealing position and thereby momentarily establish a wide space or can he= 25 tween the members. During the consequent un restrained rush of liquid through this space solid matter may he carried to the bearing surfaces of the stationary member and exert a binding action which the forces normally acting to maintein the stationary member in the desired operative position are unable to overcome. In consequence a considerable degree of leakage will talre place, thereby greatly lowering the emciency of the pump anrloften necessitating the stopping of the pump and the dismantling of the sealing mechanism in oruer to obviate the undesirable con dlticn.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to avoid repeated interruptions in the operation of 429 the min;

Another object is to avoid partial dismantling of "the pump or elements associated therewith in order to assure uninterrupted operation of the pump.

45 Another ohjectis to effect a prompt reestablishment of the seal whenever the seal is broken.

Another object is to augment the forces nor= molly relied upon to intam the correct sealine' relationship between the sealing elements.

Still another object is to enable. such. augment-' ing force to he automatically applied aml removed in accordance with ieolicte requirements.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. 55 The figure in the drawing is a longitudinal ele inlet chamber ugh an aperture to in the vation, partly in section, or a sealing device constructecl in accordance with the practice of the invention and. a portion of a pump audits stug box to which it is applied.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 2t 5 designates, in general, a sealing clevice and M a pump embodying it.

The pump, which is .illustratetl as being -of the centrifugal type, comprises a casing 22, a shaft extending through the casing and an impeller in 2 3 mounted on the shaft. The irnpellerfi l consti tutes the initial stage impeller anti its eyes 25 are accorzhnalsr in direct communication with an inlet chamber to which, it may in assumed for the purpose of this invention, the liquid is ileliverecl uinler a consitierahle pressiu'e.

let the curl of the cashier till is a ste hora Tl through which the shaft Elli enteritis loosely. and the outer end. or the [core Eli in thestuihng her. 2?? is closed in a cover till which may he secured fixedly to the stufllnn ll, by any suitable means.

The shaft 223 also extends through the cover it and suitable pushing members; llttcrraneed in the cover 2t and compressed in? "a elanol ill,

maintain an effective seal hetween the cover and 'the shaft El or, more specifically; a sleeve encircling and keyed to the shaft to prevent the direct exposure of the comperatively expensive shaft to a possible deleterious action of the parts encircling it.

The innerost enri oi the sleeve 32, in the present instance, engages a second sleeve 3% en circling the shalt Ell anti ahuttlnu a collar so kevecl to the shaft. The collar lit, in turn, seats against e, nut to threaded upon the shaft to secure the impeller in position. e shaft 28 is further provided with a nut 3t, preferably arranged in the transverse plane of the gland. 3i.

tomaintain the sleeves E32, and the collar 3 3 so.

in position.

The collar tit is shown locatecl in the snail of the bore Ell adjacent the inlet chamber 211i and, in accordance with well known practice, an end suriaw thereof, lathe construction shown that located most remotely from the inlet chamber it,

constitutes a sealing surface tl which is directly exposed to liquiu entering the bore it from the wall of the casing 22. so

Adjacent the collar 33 3 cool encircling the shaft is is a sleeve so having a lateral use so of which the end surface 453 seats against the surface 3'5 and cooperates therewith to restrict the flow of liquid from the lcore it into the interior M of 5% the sleeve 39. and which interior or bore is of sufllciently larger diameter than the sleeve 33 to prevent contact between the two. The sleeve 39 is capable of a limited degree of endwise movement. It isiurged toward the collar 3 by a spring or springs 43 interposed between a stationary ring seated upon the casing and a follower ring 45 arranged on the flange 40 and held against relative rotary'movement with respect thereto by a key 46 carried by the sleeve 42 and extending into a slot 41 in the ring 45.

The outermost end or the flange 5B constitutes a pressure surface 48. This surface is constantly exposed to the. pressure of the liquid in the bore 28 and is of such area that the pressure acting against it will predominate over the pressure gradient of the liquid passing between the surfaces Bl and Al into a chamber 39 defined by the surfaces of the rotary elements and the parts encircling them. The predominating pres-= sure, augmented by the pressure exerted by the springs 43 will maintain the surface 31 in body contact with the surface ll when the pump is at rest. These forces will, however, be of insuficient value to prevent separation of the sleeve 39 from the collar 34 when the pump is in operation and during which time it is essential to maintain a moderate flow of fluid between the surfaces 31 and ill.

In practice, it has been found that an effective seal may be maintained between the cooperating surfaces of the sleeve and the collarby the forces referred to during such times as thepump is operating at normal speeds. The sleeve 3% will then assume a position to prevent the undue pasoi liquid into the chamber il: and will remain suficiently close to the collar .i lto prevent the passage oi solids through the space defined by the collar and the sleeve However, in the event or" undueendwise movement oi the shaft, and in consequence of which a severe thrust is imparted to the sleeve the sleeve may be displaced to such an extent that a very considerable gap will exist between the surfaces 3? and An excessive quantity of water will then how into the chamber and with it solids which, when they lodge upon the periphery of the sleeve to, frequently prevent the forces normally relied upon for pressing the sleeve against the collar to again restore the sleeve to its correct sealing position.

In accordance with the practice of the invention it is contemplated to employ the consequent high pressure of the liquid within the chamber 39 as an agency for ireeingthe sleeve 3?? and administer a thrust thereto which will again quickly close the breach between the sealing surfaces. The means provided for sheeting such. movement of the sleeve comprises an annular piston 58 loosely encircling the shaft. The piston 5d com-=- prises the head portion 5i and a reduced extension 52 which are guided by surfaces 53 and 54,v respectively, in the casing.

The free end of the head constitutes a pressure surface 55 and seated against the opposite endof the head El and encircling the extension 52 is a spring 56 oi which the opposite end seats against a shouldler 51 in the casing. The spring 5-6 acts to maintain the piston 50 in a position remote from the sleeve 39 but will yield to pressure superior to that normally maintained in the chamber 49 and acting against the pressure-sur face 55 for actuating the piston toward the sleeve 39. The movement of the piston in this direction is limited by a shoulder 58 in the casing and arranged in the path of movement or the inner end of the head II.

The distance which the piston 50 maymove' in the direction of the sleeve 39 is in excessoi the space between the extension 52 and the contiguous end of the sleeve 39. In order to avoid body contact between the extension and the sleeve the free end of the extension is provided with an enlarged bore 59,120 receive the end or .the sleeve 39.

Withinthe extension 52 are a series of longitudinally extending holes 60, only one being shown in the present instance, to receive'slidably plungers 6| which are urged outthreaded into the passage 86 and has an orifice 68 of substantially the same flow area as that I normally existing between the surfaces 3'! and iii so that during the normal operation 0! the pump and liquid passing between the sealing members will merely flow through the chamber 4t without disturbing the positions of the movable parts within the chamber.

Although an orifice plug or plate in the outlet opening is preferable for the purpose described, the plug Sl may be dispensed with and the passage of liquid from the outer end of the chamber ll) may be controlled by a suitable valve interposed in a pipe leading from the possage To the end that such liquid as may flow along the surface and that of the head 5i into the space occupied by the spring 563 may be prevent= ed from opposingthe pressure of the liquid acting against the pressure surface 55 the casing is provided with a suitable passage 5% to afford communication between said space and the out-- let passage lit at a point between the orifice plug 53, or equivalent, and a zone of low pressure.

The operation of the device is as follows: Norreally the sleeve 39 will assume a position with respect to the collar its to pass only an amount or liquid into the chamber '39 equal'to that which may pass through the orifice 68. In this way a constant circulation of liquid will take place through the stufiing bout.

In the event that the sleeve 39 becomes displaced to establish a wide breach between the surfaces 31 and H and the forces normally acting to maintain the sleeve in sealing position are inadequate to again effect its return, the liquid entering the chamber 49, and which will be in excess of that which the orifice i8 is capable of immediately accommodating, will act against the pressure surface 55 and shift the piston toward the sleeve 39. The outer ends of the plungers 8| will then engage the adjacent end of the sleeve 38. Continued movement of the piston Si in the 'same direction will be transmitted through the springs 62 and the plungers 6| to the sleeve 3! and thus quickly return the sleeve to its sealing position and-hold it there until the pressure acting against thevpressure surface 55 is again reduced below that exerted by the spring 50. The spring II will then act to retract the piston and thereby move the plungers 6| out of the range of movement of the sleeve 39.

I claim:

1. In a sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing'surface, a sealing member to cooperate with the sealing surface for valving a limited flow of liquid into the chamber, and means movable with respect to the sealing member and actuated bythe liquid in the chamber to assure the retention of the sealing member in the correct operative position.

2. In a sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing surface, a sealing member to cooperate with the sealing surface for valving a limited. flow of liquid into the chamber, and means normally dissociated from the sealing member and actuated by the liquid in the chamber to return the sealing member to the correct operative position whenever said sealing member assumes a position to admit an abnormal flow of liquid into the chamber.

3. In a sealing device, the combination of a. casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing surface, a sealing member slidable in the casing cooperating with the sealing surface-to eiiect a limited flow of liquid into the chamber, and means actuated into engagement with the sealing member by liquid in the chamber for moving the sealing member toward the sealingsurface upon displacement of the sealing member from its normal sealing position.

4. In a. sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a. rotor havinga sealing surface, a sealing member slidable in the casing cooperating with the sealing surface to effect a limited flow of liquid into the chamber, means subjected to the liquid in'the chamber for moving the sealing member into sealing posi--- tion whenever said sealing member assumes a position to permit an abnormal flow of liquid into the chamber, and means for normally maintaining the first mentioned means ineifective to shift the sealing member.

5. In a sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing surface, a sealing member slidable in the casing cooperating with the sealing surface to valve a limited flowof liquid into the chamber, means reciprocable in the chamber subjected to the liquid in the chamber for moving the sealing member to its normal operative position whenever said sealing member assumes a position to permit an abnormal flow of liquid into the chainher, and a spring for normally maintaining the said means in non-contacting relationship with the sealing member.

6. In a sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing surface, a. sealing member slidable'in the casing cooperating with the sealing surface to valve a limited flow of liquid into the chamber,

a reciprocatory member having a pressure sur-- face against which liquid in the chamber acts for moving the reciprocatory member toward the sealing member, and yieldable means for transmitting the thrust of the reciprocatory member to the sealing member.

7. In a sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing surface, a sealing member slidable in the casing cooperating with the sealing surface to valve 8. limited flow of liquid into the chamber, a reciprocatory member in the chamber to move the sealing member toward-the sealing surface and having a pressure surface subjected to the liquid in the chamber, a spring to normally hold the 'reciprocatory member inactive and yielding -to permit movement of the reciprocatory member whenever the pressure of the liquid in the chamber reaches an abnormal value, and springpressed means in the reciprocatory member to transmit the thrust of the reciprocatory member to the sealing member.

8. In a sealing device, the combination of a casing having a chamber and a rotor having a sealing surface, a sealing member slidable in the casing cooperating with the sealing surface to valve a limited flow of liquid into the chamber, means to define a passage for conveying liquid at a predetermined rate from the chamber, a reciprocatory member having a pressure surface against which liquid in the chamber acts for moving the reciprocatory member toward the sealing member, a spring to normally hold the reciprocatory member stationary and being calibrated to yield whenever the rate of flow of fluidinto the chamber exceeds the rate of flow of fluid from the chamber, and a spring-pressed plunger or plungers in the recipmcatory' meml her to transmit the thrust of the reciprocatory member to the sealing member.

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